We received these very moving images and text from Marylise Vigneau, documentary photographer based between Austria and Pakistan.
SAKARTVELO, CHRONICLE OF A STRUGGLE
The year 2024 was marked by a rise in authoritarianism eroding democracies, but also by the emergence of powerful acts of resistance.
This was particularly true in Georgia — Sakartvelo in Georgian — a small nation with a long history of fighting Soviet and Russian colonialism.
Since the authoritarian and Kremlin-friendly “Georgian Dream Party” founded by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who built his wealth in Russia after the USSR’s collapse, came into power in 2012, the country had slowly lurched toward authoritarianism. The parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024, were supposed to reverse this trend. But they were massively rigged, leading to the suspension of negotiations for EU membership.
The collective stupor mixed with despair that followed the election turned shifted dramatically. Anguish turned into fury. Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets, marching to Parliament to defend self-determination, along with democracy, and their European future. Walls, hastily repainted to cover the words of anger scrawled by protesters, became a battlefield of messages, erased and rewritten nightly. Fireworks were thrown at Parliament. The government responded with ferocity — tear gas, water cannons, and batons. Some protesters were seriously injured, with some even losing an eye. Dozens were arrested, and masked groups attacked journalists and opposition figures. Yet, the demonstrators did not back down.
Two months later, every evening, Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi’s main thoroughfare, continues to transform into a vibrant space of resistance.
This essay is a tribute to a brave, inventive, and resilient people who refuse to have their destiny dictated to them. To these strong yet fragile “no’s” that sometimes fail but always shape the world.
Raised in a secretive Parisian family, I developed an early taste for investigation and justice.
Despite my literature studies, my mode of expression has become photography over time, without knowing precisely why – maybe the mix of precision, immediacy, truth, and lies behind every image.
What attract me first and foremost is how human beings are affected by physical and mental borders, this fugitive space where an unexpected, bold and fragile act or a glimpse of freedom can arise.
I work preferably on long-term projects to explore memory and place.
I like to capture in-between moments in regions filled with history and socio-political tensions.
Marylise Vigneau is an award-winning documentary photographer and author based between Austria and Pakistan. She is represented by the Anzenberger Agency.
www.marylisevigneau.com
Instagram: @marylisevigneau
CAPTIONS:
Image 1: A balloon with a black dot was left in one of the staircases of Tbilisi after a protest. The black dot has become a symbol of the rigged parliamentary elections. In the charged political landscape of Georgia, symbolism plays a potent role in shaping resistance.
Image 2 : Banners display photos of protesters injured by the police in earlier demonstrations. The protesters demanded new elections, and the release of demonstrators jailed a week earlier.
Image 3 : The structure of a Christmas tree was erected on the site where police had injured demonstrators. This picture was taken from inside this structure as protesters released smoke to express their anger.
Image 4 : Amid the protesters, a mysterious Grinch marched silently through the crowds. A few days later, the government announced a ban on masks.
Image 5 : Activists staged a performance, placing an effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili The oligarch who created the Georgian Dream Party in a coffin. They paraded in a mock funeral before burning it outside of the parliament. The next day, propaganda narratives surfaced. Some clergy condemned the act as “satanic”
Image 6 : A line of riot police blocks a street near Parliament while protesters shine lasers at them.
Image 7 : On December 8, journalist Maka Chikhladze, from pro-opposition TV Pirveli, was attacked by multiple masked men reportedly tied to the Georgian government. She suffered brain contusions and shared that, during the attack, she felt as though she was going to die. These masked men have been violently beating protesters and journalists at demonstrations for over a week.This assault was the latest in a troubling pattern of escalating violence against journalists in Georgia.
Image 8 : One form of protest involved banging on the metal gates of the parliament.
Image 9 : A tag on the walls of Parliament
Image 10 : Some protesters wore protective goggles in anticipation of police violence.
Image 11 : One of the recurring slogans was “Never back to the USSR.”
Image 12 : Two young girls found a moment of respite inside Saint George Church, located just across the Parliament of Georgia, the epicentre of the protests.
Image 13 : Zviad Maisashvili was attacked by around ten police officers. The incident was recorded. The footage shows him lying on the asphalt, helpless, when one of the policemen kicks him in the head with his heel while another one kicks him in the face. After that, Zviad fell unconscious. When he woke up, some friend had already brought him to a hospital.
Image 14 : Throughout December, numerous marches were organized representing a broad spectrum of the society: marches by social workers, the elderly, wine procurers, writers and Hellenists. Khorumi dancers also organized a march. Khorumi is a Georgian traditional war dance symbolizing unity and determination.
Image 15 : A young couple embraces in front of a tagged monument in the heart of Tbilisi. The message reflects the growing anger toward Russia and the Kremlin-friendly Georgian Dream Party, accused of rigging the October 26 elections to stay in power. It clearly is a message to Russia.
